Containers



C- E. PALMER Sept. 24, 1968 CONTAINERS Z5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.

C/Io

INVENTOR.

CHARLES E. PALMER his AGENT Sept. 24, 1968 c. E. PALMER 3,402,875

CONTAINERS Filed NOV. 8, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3. 7 3 4 5 6INVENTOR. CHARLES E. PALMER BY jdjdwl;

his AGENT p 1968 c. E. PALMER 3,402,875

7 CONTAINER-S Filed Nov. a. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

CHARLES E. PALMER his AGENT United States Patent 3,402,875 CONTAINERSCharles E. Palmer, Somers, Conn., assignor to Jones &

Langhlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., :1 corporation ofPennsylvania Filed Nov. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 592,855 Claims. (Cl. 229-51)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention provides containersconstructed of steel foil and steel foil-paper laminates. The containersare constructed so as to take full advantage of the highest strengthafforded by the use of steel foil.

This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly tocontainers formed from steel foil.

Treated paperboard, cardboard, sheet plastic, and similar materials aswell as metal foils such as aluminum foil or aluminum alloy foils, havefound applicability in the packaging art as container forming materials.Inexpensive containers constructed from such materials often prove to beunsatisfactory, however, because they lack the necessary strength andrigidity to withstand shock without rupturing and because often they areunable to maintain their shape under the weight and pressure of thematerial which they contain.

Steel foil has a greater tensile strength and is more abrasion resistantthan the above mentioned materials. The strongest and mostabrasive-resistant steel foil, however, is rather low in ductility.Therefore, a container of this foil constructed so as to have cornersformed by the intersection of three or more fold lines at right anglesto one another, as would be the case with a flat end wall container, issusceptible to being ruptured by a blow at those corners. Certainembodiments of my invention are not subject to this problem because theypossess no such corners. Other embodiments of my invention areconstructed so that weak corners are recessed Within the outerextremities of the container and so are protected from sharp blows. Thecontainers of my invention therefore take advantage of the higheststrength afforded by steel foil.

In addition to being strong because they are constructed of thestrongest steel foil, the containers of my invention are of increasedstrength. Increased strength is imparted to certain embodiments of myinvention by forming the container ends into triangular or peak-typestructures. Certain other embodiments of my invention are constructed ofsteel foil which has been laminated to a pliable material such as paperor paperboard. The paper or paperboard lamina, besides contributing tothe strength of the container by decreasing the frequency of rupturingof the the container along a scam, in addition increases the radius ofthe folds required so that the material is not bent as sharply as itwould be in the absence of such laminae. This is advantageous sincesharply folded high strength steel foil is susceptible to cracking alongthe fold. Still another method I employ to give increased strength tosteel foil containers is to provide the containers with liners orpouches, as distinguished from laminates. Containers which possessliners or pouches are not as likely to rupture under impact along seamsor folds as are containers not having such liners. These and othertechniques used to provide high strength containers are more fullydiscussed below.

3,402,875 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 "ice The containers of my inventionpossess characteristics which make them especially applicable to thepackaging art in addition to the characteristics of high strengthbriefly noted above. Thus according to one embodiment of my inventionthe container has one parallel pair of its side walls recessed withinanother parallel pair of side walls. The recessed side walls provide aWorking area wherein outside mandrels can be positioned so that thecontainer end structures can be completed about the outside mandrels.Thus there is no need for inside mandrels and consequently no problem asto closing of the container ends arises when the container is filledprior to the completion of the end structures.

A characteristic of the recessed side wall container constructed fromsteel foil-paper laminate material which is of singular advantage in thepackaging art is the ability of the container in its semifinishedcondition, i.e. prior to the completion of the end structures, to beflattened and then opened to a filling position with relative case. Thisenables the container to be partially assembled, flattened so as toreduce its bulk, and shipped to a distant filling station where it canbe readily opened, filled and completed by formation of the endstructures.

A further characteristic of the containers of my invention is that theyare formed from an integral substantially rectangular blank and therebyinclude the advantages, such as absence of waste, attendant in usingsuch a blank. By using an integral blank and by employing face to facefolds in the construction of the container, a completely sealed onepiece container is formed.

I have as an object of my invention to provide high strength containersconstructed from steel foil.

Another object of my invention is to provide high strength containersconstructed from steel foil-paper laminates.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide steel foil containershaving no weak corners.

Still another object of my invention is to provide steel foil containerswherein any weak corners formed in the container are recessed within theexterior limits of the container.

A further object of my invention is to provide steel foil containershaving high end strength characteristics.

Another object of my invention is to provide steel foil containershaving liners or pouches for adding strength to the containers.

Still another object of my invention is to construct steel foilcontainers which include an outside working area for mandrels, thuseliminating the need for inside mandrels for completing the containerend structures.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide steel foil containerswhich in the semifinished form can be readily collapsed from an opencondition and readily opened from a collapsed condition.

A further object of my invention is to construct steel foil containersfrom an integral blank.

Another object of my invention is to provide completely sealed one piececontainers.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide containers having onepair of substantially parallel walls rece'ssed within another pair ofsubstantially parallel walls.

Various other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawingswhere presently preferred embodiments of the invention are depicted. Thenovel features of my invention will be particularly pointed outhereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, in part developed, of a steel foil-paperlaminate blank scored in a manner for forming a recessed side wallcontainer. FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a recessed side wallcontainer formed from the blank of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 3 is an end View ofthe blank of FIGURE 1 after having undergone the first foldingoperation. FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the semifinished recessedside wall container formed from the folded blank of FIGURE 3 prior toforming of the container end structures.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top view of a semifinished containerillustrating a modified side seam. FIGURE 6 shows the side seam ofFIGURE 5 as it appears after the initial folding operation.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken online 77 of FIGURE 2 showing the end seal.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view like that of FIGURE 7illustrating a first modified end seal.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view like that of FIGURE 7illustrating a second modified end seal.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a partially completed containerformed from a blank like that of FIG- URE 1 and having a modified endstructure.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a semifinished recessedside wall container prepared for forming a fiat end structure. FIGURE 12is a fragmentary perspective view of the completed fiat end structureformed from the body of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a semifinished recessedside wall container illustrating a particular form of apparatus used informing the end structures of the container.

FIGURE 14 is an end view of the end structure formed by the apparatus ofFIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a container formed according to asecond embodiment of my invention. FIG- URE 16 is a plan view, in partdeveloped, of a steel foil blank scored in a manner for forming thecontainer of FIGURE 15.

The steel foil used in constructing containers according to my inventionis of less than about .006 inch thickness and is preferably of about.001 to about .004 inch thickness. Also the steel foil most generallyused in making the containers of my invention is full hard steel foil,that is, steel foil which is not annealed after being worked to gauge.While steel foil of different tempers is also used, the containers madefrom full hard steel foil possess a greater strength generally thanthose made from steel foil of other tempers.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 2 illustrates the container which isconstructed from the blank shown in FIGURE 1 and FIGURES 3 and 4 depictvarious stages in the formation of the container from that blank. Asshown in FIGURE 1, the blank includes three laminae, the two outsidelaminae 1-1 comprising kraft paper and the middle lamina 2 comprisingsteel foil of .002 inch thickness. The paper laminae are secured toeither side of the steel foil by means of an asphaltic adhesive. Asillustrated in FIGURE 1, the upward facing side of the blank forms theinside of the container and the various solid lines shown thereon arescore lines made on that side while the dotted lines are score linesmade on the downward facing side of the blank.

The blank includes a first pair of rectangular panels 3 and 5 which formthe parallel exterior walls of the completed container and a second pairof rectangular panels 4 and 6 which form the parallel interior orrecessed walls of the completed container. The interior walls arerecessed within the extremities of the exterior walls. Adjoining thefour panels are strips 7, 8, 9, and 10, which comprise the folded overedges of the exterior walls of the completed container. The folded overedges serve to join the recessed walls to the exterior walls. Strip 11forms a salient portion on the completed container and is fastened tostrip 7 in a face to face manner by an adhesive. The exterior walls andthe folded over edges form four double thickness margins or marginalextensions about the completed container.

Integral with panels 3 and 5 are end panels 12, 13, and 14, 15,respectively, which form the sloping sides of the end structures of thecompleted container. Further integral with the latter four panels arethe end sealing panels 16, 17, 18, and 19. The end sealing panelsprovide the means by which the container ends are sealed. The containeris sealed and completed by sealing panel 16 to panel 18 and panel 17 topanel 19 in a face to face relationship.

Contiguous with panels 4 and 6 are triangular panels 20, 21, 22, and 23,and immediately adjacent these triangular panels are panels 2-4 through31. The triangular panels in the completed container form gusset foldswhich extend inwardly and away from the recessed walls towards thesealed ends of the container. The panels 24 through 31 act as flaps bywhich the gusset folds are made continuous with the sloping sides 12through 15 of the container end structures and with the end sealingpanels 16 through 19.

Securely attached to blank across its lateral extent over panels 12, 24,29, 25, 14, 28, 22, and 29 is a narrow strip of steel foil 32. The stripis one-fourth inch wide and .003 inch thick and in the completedcontainer provides a tear strip whereby the container may be opened. Theportion of the tear strip which extends beyond the end of the blank, 33,protrudes from the completed container as illustrated in FIGURE 2 andprovides a pull tab for initiating opening of the container.

In forming the container of FIGURE 2, the blank is first double parallelfolded along those longitudinal score lines which define strips 8, 9,and 19, and is then single folded along the score lines which definestrips 7 and II. An end view of the blank so folded is shown in FIGURE 3wherein the top surface of the folded blank forms the inside of thecontainer. An adhesive is placed between the folds formed by the panels8, 9, and 10, and adjacent panels 3 and 5 as is shown at 34, 35, and 36of FIGURE 3. The adhesive in addition to maintaining the integrity ofthe folds provides added strength thereat so that the marginalextensions formed by the exterior walls 3 and 5 and the folded overedges 7, 8, 9, It), and 11 cannot be readily ruptured by a sharp blow.

The semifinished container of FIGURE 4 is completed by bringing panels11 and 7 into overlapping relationship and sealing the panels togetherby means of an adhesive thereby producing seam 37. I have found that bypositioning the seam within one of the marginal extensions of thecontainer a stronger container is produced than is the case when theseam is positioned along one of the exterior walls. The portion 33 ofthe tear strip which extends beyond the edge of the blank extendsoutside the container at the seam 37 so as to provide a pull tab forinitiating opening of the container. The semifinished container ofFIGURE 4 being generally rectangular in cross section is readilycollapsible as can be understood. For many applications the semifinishedcontainer is constructed at a particular location and is thentransported to a second distant location where it is filled and closedand because the semifinished container is collapsible, it can betransported in a collapsed condition which is of great advantage. Toopen the collapsed body for filling, it is necessary only to grasp thetwo cater-cornered marginal extensions of the collapsed container whichare closest to one another and pull the extensions in oppositedirections. The ability of the semifinished container to be readilycollapsed and to be readily opened is, as can be appreciated, a functionof the flexibility of the folds and I have found that the folds made ina container formed of a laminated structure as described are a greatdeal more flexible than those made in a container formed of steel foilalone.

The container end structures are completed by pushing inwardly at points38 and 39 and at similar points on recessed side wall 4. At the sametime end sealing panels 16 and 18 are brought together in a face to facerelationship and sealed together by means of an adhesive placed on thepanels to produce fin 42. Panels 17 and 19 are similarly sealedtogether. One end of the container is of course sealed before thecontainer is filled.

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the container, the pulltab 33 is grasped and pulled about the perimeter of the container so asto tear it open. To facilitate this method of opening the container thestrip 7 can be slit slightly at those points where the tear stripextends outwardly of the seam 37. Under some conditions when thecontainer holds liquid or loose material, I prefer to provide a tearstrip across only one gusset fold and not around the entire container.Then after opening the container by means of the tear strip the gussetfold can be pulled outwardly to provide a spout whereby the dispensingof the liquid or loose material can be accomplished with a great degreeof control.

High strength steel foil when it is severely folded is quite likely tocrack and split along the fold lines. In the embodiment of my inventionjust described I greatly reduce such a possibility by providing thesteel foil with kraft paper laminae. Thus when the blank is folded, thesteel foil is always folded about a thicknesss of kraft paper. Theradius of the fold is thereby increased over what it would be if steelfoil alone were being folded and the severity of the fold in terms ofsusceptibility to splitting and cracking is thus reduced. This featureof course contributes to the overall strength of the container. Inaddition the paper laminae add to the overall strength of the containerin and of themselves by vertue of their tight bond with the steel foilby means of the asphaltic adhesive. In this regard I have noted thatcontainers made from steel foil having a paper lamina on only one sidewhile stronger than containers made from steel foil having no paperlaminae are not as strong as containers made from steel foil havingpaper laminae on both sides. Thus in standard drop weight tests whereinthe containers were filled with a uniform quantity of sand and weredropped a uniform distance, containers having a single paper lamina werecapable of being dropped a greater number of times before rupturingoccurred at the seam than were the containers having no laminae.Containers having laminae on both sides could be dropped an even greaternumber of times before rupturing at the seam resulted. The superiorperformance of the laminated containers is so significant that it cannotbe explained as resulting solely from the sum of the strengths of theindividual materials. I have also found that the performance of each ofthese types of containers, i.e. with no paper lamina, with a paperlamina on only one side and with paper laminae on both sides can beimproved by providing the container with a liner or pouch. For example,a sheet of kraft paper is secured to a blank like that shown in FIGURE 1either before or after the blank is scored. The sheet of kraft paper hasthe same lateral and longitudinal dimensions as does the blank and thepaper is secured to the blank only around the perimeter of the blank andis not laminated thereto. So secured the paper acts as a liner or pouchin the completed container. While I am not certain why containers havingsuch a pouch or liner do not rupture at the seam as readily as docontainers not having a liner, I believe that the presence of the linerallows the shock of impact to be distributed more evenly over the entirecontainer and not be concentrated at the seam as is the case when noliner is used. The liner can be installed if it is desired only afterthe container has reached the stage of completion shown in FIGURE 4. Inthis instance a sheet of kraft paper is formed into a liner having theshape of an open ended parallelepiped with outer dimensionscorresponding to the inside dimensions of the semifinished container.The liner is simply inserted into the semifinished container and securedthereto only to an extent to keep it from slipping from the container.The container is then filled and completed in the normal manner. Theliner rather than being open ended can be closed on one end and thus bemore in the nature of a pouch when inserted and attached to thesemifinished container. Materials other than kraft paper can be used forliners. Plastics for example can be employed. Of special interest arethose plastics which can be sealed by the application of heat sincebesides acting as a liner material the plastic can be used to form theend seals on the container. Thus when the end panels 16, 18, and 17, 19,are brought together for sealing of the container after insertion of theplastic liner, no adhesive need be applied since by applying a heatingtool to the end panels the portion of the plastic liner which overlaysthese panels will act to seal the ends.

As indicated above, the positioning of the container side seam within amarginal extension improves the performance of the container in a dropweight test as compared to the case where the side seam is formed alongone of the exterior walls. Additional strength can be imparted to thecontainer side seam by providing a double folded side seam. Such a seamis illustrated in FIGURE 5 which is a fragmentary top view of asemifinished container in a stage of completion like that of FIGURE 4.In forming a double folded seam a terminal portion 40 of an exteriorwall is folded about the end of a salient portion 41 of a recessed sidewall as shown in FIGURE 6. An adhesive is applied to those faces whichare adjacent one another so as to provide a strong bond therebetween.Thereafter the folded structure is folded upon itself to produce thedouble fold illustrated in FIGURE 5. Again, adhesive is applied to theadjacent faces of the fold to secure the seam.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the upper end of the container shown inFIGURE 2 and illustrates the manner in which the container ends aresealed. As has been described an adhesive is applied to the end sealingpanels 16 and 18, after which they are brought together in a face toface relation and the container end thereby sealed. A modification ofthis end seal is shown in FIGURE 8 wherein a portion of the fin producedupon joining of the end sealing panels together is folded over and thefolded over portion 43 is fastened to the upstanding portion of the finby means of an adhesive. A further modification of the end seal is thedouble folded end seal shown in FIGURE 9 wherein a folded over portionas illustrated in FIGURE 8 is folded upon itself and the refoldedportion secured to the upstanding portion of the fin.

In describing the construction of the end seals and side seams,reference has been made to the use of adhesives. Both cold and hot typeadhesive are used. Taping, stitchirrg and stapling methods are also usedto close the ends of the containers.

Constructing the containers so as to provide peak-type end structuresthereon as has been described is preferred because such end structuresbeing triangular provide end strength characteristics to the container.This of course is particularly important when considering thepossibility of the container rupturing upon handling and shipping.Another feature of peak-type end structures is that no weak corners areformed on the container. That is to say that no corners are formed onthe container by the intersection of three fold lines all at rightangles to one another as would be the case in a fiat-end container.Containers are, however, for some applications constructed so as to haveone or more flat end structures. One such type end structure is shown inthe container of FIGURE 10. The container is constructed from a blanklike that of FIG- URE 1 except that the end panel 44 and the other endpanels are of such a length that in order to bring the end sealingpanels as represented by 45 into a face to face relationship, the endWall panels must be folded to an extent so as to be substantiallyperpendicular to the container side walls. The manner in which the endseal panels are finally sealed may comprise any of the methods discussedabove. Although in this type of end structure weak corners are formed at46 and at similar points about the container by the intersection atsubstantially right angles of fold 49 and the folds formed along lines47 and 48, these corners are recessed within the outer extremities ofthe exterior walls. Therefore, they are not likely to receive a sharpblow and consequently are not as subject to being ruptured as they wouldbe if they were not recessed.

The formation of a second type of flat end structure is illustrated inFIGURES 11 and 12. In this embodiment the recessed side walls are slitat those locations 50 where they are joined to the various salientportions which extend to the exterior walls. Four flaps 51, 52, 53, and54 are thereby provided, which flaps are hinged about score line 55.These flaps are successively folded downwardly towards the body of thecontainer until they are perpendicular to the side wal=1s of thecontainer and the flaps are then sealed to one another by means of anadhesive.

As indicated, advantages derived by constructing steel foil containerswith recessed side walls are the protection of weak corners in the endfolds formed in flat end containers by recessing the corners within theexterior walls and the providing of marginal extensions as grippingsurfaces whereby the semifinished container in the flattened conditioncan be readily grasped and pulled open. A further advantage is that therecessed side walls provide a working area for outside mandrels aroundwhich the container end structures are formed. Although the mandrels areused with containers formed from either steel foil-paper laminates orfrom steel foil alone, they have greater applicability to the lattertype of container because of the greater relative degree of difficultyin folding steel foil alone as compared to steel foil-paper laminates.FIGURES 13 and 14 illustrate the use of such mandrels in forming thecontainer end structures. The semifinished container is supportedbetween supports 56 and 57 upon which are hinged pressure members 58 and59. Mandrel 60 and an identical mandrel, not shown, are positionedwithin the recesses formed by the exterior walls and the side walls. Themandrels include a peak portion about which the peak-type end structuresare formed. The pressure members are pivoted about the supports 56 and57 so that in forming the end structures they are rotated inwardly so asto fold the end panels inwardly about mandrels and bring the end sealpanels into face to face engagement as shown in FIGURE 14. Thus noinside mandrels are required to complete the end structures and bothends of the container can be completed after the container has beenfilled if desired.

Another type of steel foil container constructed according to myinvention is that of FIGURE 15. This container does not have recessedside walls and thus does not possess the advantages peculiar to suchcontainers but is quite satisfactory for many applications. Thecontainer is formed from the blank of FIGURE 16 which blank comprisesthree laminae 62-62, and 63 of the type used in making the recessed sidewall container described above. The blank shown in FIGURE 16 includes aseries of solid lines which are made on the upward facing side of theblank and a series of broken lines made on the downward facing side. Theupward facing side forms the inside of the container.

Rectangular panels 65 and 67 on the blank form the side walls of thecontainer and panel 66 forms the back wall while panels 64 and 68combine to form the back wall. Panels 69 through 74 of the blank formthe sloping sides of the container end structures while end sealingpanels 75 through which are integral with panels 69 through 74 providethe means by which the container ends are sealed.

Adjacent panels 65 and 67 are triangular panels 81, 82, and 83, 84,respectively, and immediately adjacent the triangular panels are panelsthrough 92. The triangular panels in the completed container form gussetfolds which are attached to the sloping sides of the container ends bymeans of panels 85 through 92 in a manner like that of the recessed sidewall container.

The container is constructed by folding the blank along the score lineswhich define panels 64 through 68. Panels 64 and 68 are then broughtinto overlapping relation and the overlapping portions sealed by meansof an adhesive to produce seam 93. The end structures are then completedin a manner like that described in conjunction with the description ofthe construction of the recessed side wall container without the use ofoutside mandrels. The peak-type end structures of these containers addstrength to the containers because of their triangular configuration.Also, no weak corners are formed with this type of end structure sinceno corners are formed by the intersection of three or more fold linesall at right angles to one another as would be the case with flat endcontainers.

Liners or pouches are also used in conjunction with this type ofcontainer with the attendant advantages of such liners.

Although I have disclosed my invention in relation to embodimentswherein the containers are of oblong cross section, containers are alsoconstructed of square cross section.

In those instances where containers are made from steel foil alone orsteel foil having a paper laminate on only one side, the steel foil canbe coated with organic materials such as micro-crystalline waxes,plastics, rubbers, lacquers and the like as well as with inorganicmaterials such as tin, zinc, aluminum and the like.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,steps, and arrangement of parts which have been herein described andillustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be madeby those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A folded container formed from an integral substantially rectangularsheet of steel foil comprising a first pair of opposed substantiallyparallel walls spaced from each other by a second pair of opposedsubstantially parallel walls, the second pair of walls being recessedwithin the folded edges of the first pair so as to form outwardlyextending double thickness margins therealong and a pair of opposed endstructures closing off the ends of the container.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the sheet of steel foil has a sheetof kraft paper laminated to at least one of its sides.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein the steel foil is full hard.

4. The container of claim 1 in which at least one end structurecomprises a peak-type structure.

5. The container of claim 3 including a liner supported within thecontainer, said liner being free of substantial attachment to thecontainer.

6. The container of claim 5 including a tear strip positioned on thecontainer.

7. A container formed from a substantially rectangular steel foil-paperlaminate blank, said container including four walls and beingrectangular in cross section, two peak-type end structures closing offopposite ends of the container and a liner supported within thecontainer, said liner being free of substantial attachment to thecontainer.

8. The container of claim 3 wherein said container includes a side seampositioned within the extremity of one of the outwardly extendingmargins and adjacent one of the side walls. 7

9. The container of claim 6 wherein said container includes a side seampositioned within the extremity of one of the outwardly extendingmargins and adjacent one of the side walls.

10. The container of claim 3 wherein at least one end structurecomprises a peak-type structure having a pair of sloping sides joined toa first pair of walls, a pair of gusset folds extending inwardly andaway from the recessed pair of walls and two pairs of flap members, eachof said pairs of flap members joining a respective one of the gussetfolds with each of the sloping sides, and a tearstrip positioned acrossone of said gusset folds and associated pair of flap members wherebyupon opening of the container by means of the tear-strip the gusset foldcan be pulled outwardly to provide a spout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Prindel 229-51 Zerlin 22917 Elias22923 Bransten 2293.5 Owens 229-45 X 10 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, PrimaryExaminer.

